By having only league champions involved, the tournament will look like the World Club championship where champions are selected from each continent. While the English, German, Italian, French, Dutch and perhaps Portuguese leagues boast known teams, the other leagues are someways behind. We also have to bear in mind that it is not down to just the football now. You have to consider the revenue involved. Why doesn't the World Club Championship draw that much attention? Because there are a whole lot of unknown or unfancied teams playing. By having on the champion from each nation play, you are limiting the amount of people who will watch it on tv.

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Jan 30 2007, 03:16 PM

It's for the sake of involving the whole of Europe, but there is a risk of the bigger clubs end up buying players/people from the smaller clubs that (was lucky enough to) go to CL. If this persists, the ones losing in the long run might even be the ones Platini wanted to give benefit to.

For example, look at Porto and Mourinho.

But that is already happening. Clubs already have scouts that scour the planet for existing talent and they also setup academies in other countries to look for youth.

That is true, but having this actually makes this process faster imo.

Also, will the smaller clubs be able to handle the pressure, or not?

Why not? By playing well supported team, they stand to earn millions in revenue generated from television viewership. In fact smaller teams often prefer to meet the big boys because of this.

I do agree that this is the case in England, but we'll never know about elsewhere until we see it for ourselves.

I don't even know what the television networks think of this...

It is the same anywhere in the world actually. When a match is aired live, both clubs earn a cut from the television revenue generated. If crappy team like Derry City met a premiership giant, chances of the game being aired live increases and thus they are in for a windfall.

If only 3 teams are allowed only 3 teams will get rich. Which makes the elite even more elite.

And what about France and other countries, losing a pot for them will mean only 2 available slots. That isn't beneficial at all.

Even Sheeby Singh said on Football Focus today, don't fix something which ain't broken.

1. implement Salary Cap for each club. i think it is FIFA's job but Platini can propose it to Sepp Blatter. but no trade players between club like NBA & MLS.

2. video technology, please.

3. mid-season all-star game like NBA all-star weekend. best player from every league play against other league. maybe continent or else.

1. Salary caps are extremely hard to impose. There are numerous ways to pay a player indirectly.

2. Video technology slows the game down and has many other flaws.

3. It will never happen due to rivalry, disinterest from football players and strong opposition from clubs.

IIRC Blatter is a hardcore opponent against video technology, because to him 'it takes away the human element of football'.

Thing is, his proposals may be good AND bad for European football, but in it all depends on the others.

This post has been edited by kct-86: Jan 31 2007, 08:41 AM

Its just the matter of time football will use video technology like rugby or cricket...

I have no problem with 3 teams from each country or even fewer. It's just a format although it may compromise the quality or other related matter. No matter how it will be decided, we will have a brand "new" Champions League with a new identity.

I'm more concerned on stuffs involved directly to the football itself, eg video technology and diving or acting issues.

Video technology CAN be implemented. Maybe not to use it directly but to assist refereeing. I do not have a concrete suggestion on how to implement it but I'm sure it is possible. If video technology fails, more referees on the pitch is another option to be considered. Let's face it, basketball with smaller size of playing area requires 2 referees but compared to a bigger one in football, there's only one referee. Who's the busiest in the pitch? Referee or other players?

Next, the act of diving or acting or time-delaying in the name of injury. For diving or acting, video technology maybe the way to go but no matter what will be used, we all know how bad these have been happening to the so-called professional football. Somehow, we become more and more numb of it and start to accept it's a part of football, which it is always not the pure football. I do not know, but sending an official physio to double check for fake injury follows with punishment may be a good idea.

There are more to be considered but for the time being, these are what concern me the most.

This post has been edited by kimhoong: Jan 31 2007, 09:14 AM

Shebby likes to talk from his ass so i suggest that u take what he says with a grain of salt. And the points u r making don't make sense. Making the elite more elite is exactly what is happening now. Steve Mcmahon hit the nail on the head yesterday that the gap will grow wider if it continues. And who said countries like France should lose a slot? Platini is just limiting the maximum number of participants from a single country.

In my view it could be done this way:
England/Italy/Spain: 3 automatic slots into the CL grp stage (instead of 2 direct + 2 into qualy stage)
France/Germany: 2 + 1
Holland/Portugal: 2
and etc.

I am against messing around with the format which would be as u say "fixing something which isn't broken". However i am for changing the way teams qualify for the competition.

If you only take aways 3 places from Italy, Spain and England there are only 3 slots available to weaker European nations which isn't enough. Some other countries have to sacrifice as well.

What I meant by the elite getting more elite is that there are now the Big 4 in in England as an example. With the new Cl there will only be a Big 3 qualifying for the CL every year. Is it better to have 4 big teams or just 3?

Most importantly people (like me) don't wish to see Madrid play again some Eastern European club on a regular basis.

Why would other countries need to sacrifice? Unless i m mistaken i believe every European country currently has a slot but not an automatic one. Alot of the weaker countries have their champions go directly into the qualifying phase. Nothing has changed. The only difference is they won't have to face a 4th place team from the top 3 leagues. Will it make it easier for them to get through the qualifying phase? Sure...but not as easy as some of u skeptics are implying. There are still alot of good teams outside the top 3 leagues.

This post has been edited by verx: Jan 31 2007, 02:24 PM

Platini wants to give these countries an automatic qualification spot. If not, they'll end up getting slaughtered anyway in the qualifying rounds and the real beneficiaries will be leagues such as the French, Dutch and Portuguese.

I don't think he plans to give weaker countries an automatic spot. There are only 32 teams in the group stages. He's not that stupid. He has stated pretty clearly that he just wants to limit the maximum to 3. And yes the immediate beneficiaries will be those leagues that u mention. But i don't think the top 3 will stand to lose too much if they get 3 automatic places instead of the current 2.

Yup, if it's 3 automatic spots the top leagues wouldn't lose much and the bigger clubs should be agreeable.